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Lying by the Ea H'leo River, the tower is an architectural structure of reddish baked bricks, with its top as a flower bud. The local E De, Mo Nong, Gia Rai natives call tower Yang Prong, means "Great God".
Legend has it that at this jungle, a pregnant woman was going to be in labour and her husband went to invite the midwife. When the midwife started her task, she suddenly heard the sound of a flute-kite, which made her forget her duty. When looking back, she found the woman and her baby dead. Grieved at the death of his wife, the husband got angry and beheaded the midwife. The three people were fossilized. The natives called the woman and the baby Yang Prong, the midwife Yang Moi. It is said that the root at the tower door was what the woman held when giving birth to her baby.
Documents proved that the tower was built by King Sinhavarman III (aka King Che Man, husband of Princess Huyen Tran) in the 13th century. The tower is dedicated to Mukhalinga (symbols of fecundity), in a wish for peopleï happiness, multiplied -human race, and prosperity.
Yang Prong Cham Tower bears cultural features of Cham people. The tower evidences the history of the wet-rice civilization on the highland. The Cham Tower in Dak Lak is special. Few people know about its presence here. On August 3rd, 1991 the Ministry of Culture and Information issued a decision recognizing Yang Prong Cham Tower as an ancient architectural site under the management of the government. This tower is a tourist attraction in the Central Highlands. |